Luke Hodge calls for AFL to introduce red card for serious on-field acts

Hawthorn great Luke Hodge believes the AFL should introduce a red card system to send off players who perform dangerous acts on the field.

The four-time premiership star says incidents like Izak Rankine’s bump that concussed Brandon Starcevich should fall into that category.

Rankine received a four-week ban for the bump and was unsuccessful at reducing the suspension at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday.

“100 per cent they (wasted the Tribunal’s time),” Hodge told SEN’s Whateley.

“I reckon they did it just to try and drop it down to three weeks. $10,000 for one week, I don’t think it’s worth it when you’re not playing finals.

“Everything that the AFL has brought in to protect players was on display. That was 100 per cent four weeks and was never going to be anything less.

“It was off the ball, it was a player getting heavily tagged by Starcevich so he was frustrated, Rankine was just trying to be forceful and physical and opted to bump and got him in the head and Starcevich was concussed.

“This is why I’m a big one for a red card. Starcevich was out from the first quarter because of an act that’s not a football act, that was an intimidation act, and Rankine gets to play on.

“That’s why I’m a big one for a red card and they were never getting anything less than four once the AFL gave them the four weeks.”

Rankine won’t be available to play for the Crows until Round 22.